The Film Daily (1948)

^ w* Ufh St. ai«t floor Intimate in Character International in Scope Independent in Thought >^^^^ , ^^^qZ The Daily Ne\!>ib'^©r Of Motion Pictures Now Thirty Years Old V( 4, NO. 19 NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY. JULY 28, 1948 TEN CENTS LOCBL mEDIBTIOn OHLV lUBV, SBVS StlllTH U K, Film Bank Bill to Parliament in September Labor Government Determines on the Introduction of a Separate Measure London (By Cable) — The Labor Government will introduce the bill establishing the Film Finance Corporation, which is intended to pour $20,000,000 of public money into indie production, as a separate measure early in the next session which begins Sept. 13, it was disclosed yesterday at the Board of Trade. Record "U" Backlog of 19 Pix at Studio West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — With shooting schedules on 19 of the 24 features on the company's annual production program completed, Universal, which shuts down its studios Friday for a five-week consolidated vacation period, today has the largest backlog of completed major pix in its history, according to a joint statement released by J. Cheever Cowdin and Nate J. Blumberg. During the five-week interim before production resumes, final editing and cutting of half a dozen of the 19 will be continued and pre(Confinued on Page 6) Tom O'Brien Coming Over to Attend lATSE Conclave London (By Cable)— Tom O'Brien, M. P., general secretary of the NATKE, will leave here Aug. 7 to attend the lATSE convention which opens in Cleveland, 0., on Aug. 16. Paramount Televises President's Message President Truman's message to Congress was presented in its entirety on the screen of the Paramount Theater here yesterday via simultaneous television pickup of pooled network facilities. No advance in the admission price was made by the theater although Paramount paid the "pool" for the video rights. MPAA Copyright Law Committee Explores Leihell Decision in ASCAP Trust Action MPAA's Copyright Law Committee, headed by Edwin P. Kilroe of 2th-Fox, canvassed the decision of Federal Judge Vincent L. Leibell in the ASCAP antitrust suit brought by members of the ITOA at a first session yesterday at the Association offices here. Iniitial huddle was essentially on the exploratory side, it was said, with decision on a course of action not reached and other conferences to be scheduled. U.K. 16 mm. Projector Uses 35 mm. Sound London (By Air Mall) — New Harper 16 mm. sound projector, which uses a 35 mm. sound track, is creating considerable stir at trade demonstrations here. A departure from standard 16 mm. equipment, new device projects alternate frames of a 16 mm. print, with every second frame printed upside down, to be run in the second direction, after the print has gone through once. Perforations are between frames, (Continued on Page 6) Wehrenberg No Candidate For St. Louis Presidency St. Louis — Fred Wehrenberg, president of MPTO of St. Louis, Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois will not be a candidate for re-election. In the notice of the Sept. 27 annual convention, Wehrenberg stated, "It is up to you to select a new president as I positively will not be a candidate for another term." Wehrenberg attempted to step out (Continued on Page 4) Ohio Exhibitor Suing Schine for $345,1 Columbus, O. — Emerson W. Long, Cadiz theater operator, yesterday filed an anti-trust suit in Federal Court here against Schine Theater Circuit, claiming damages of $345,000 suffered by him during the period from Jan. 1, 1935, to Jan. 1, 1941. The suit involves Long's operation of the Memorial Theater at Mount Vernon, during that period. Complaint alleges that because of exertion of buying power by Schine (Continued on Page 6) Blum-Byrnes Film Accord Ends; Continue Paris Talks Paris (By Cable)— The film provisions of the Blum-Byrnes accord expired here yesterday with negotiations on new provisions between the U. S. industry reps., headed by Gerald Mayer, managing director of the MPAA international division, U. S. Embassy officials and French Government officials still continuing. The conclusion of a new agree(Continued on Page 7) Peso Devaluation a 25% Blow Companies Plan to Slash Operating Costs Hold Line on Admissions, Wood Urges Ohio Theaters Columbus, O.— A warning against reducing admission scales is sounded by Pete J. Wood, ITO secretary, in a bulletin just dispatched to the Allied affiliate's membership. Declaring that "there are no signs of reduced admission prices in Ohio in the regularly operated movie (Continued on Page 6) By JAY KANER FILM DAILY Staff Correspondent Mexico City — Devaluation of the Mexican peso is a sharp blow to U. S. distribution offices here with the companies planning to absorb the blow by trimming overhead costs. Financial circles here believe the peso will settle at 15 cents to the U. S. dollar, compared to 20 cents before devaluation. In that event, it is estimated, (Continued on Page 7) Past Failures Due to National Basis, Fox Executive Tells Indiana Exhibitors French Lick, Ind. — Attributing the failure of past industry mediation plans to the fact that they were conceived on a national basis, Andy W. Smith, Jr., 20th-Fox general sales manager, told the Allied Theater Owners of Indiana in convention here yesterday that the recently in( Continued on Page 4) PCCITOToAidBattie Against ASCAP Ruling West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — PCCITO trustees, through their attorney, Robert W. Graham of Seattle, announced that PCC would again participate in any appeal from the decision of Federal (Continued on Page 7) Ohio Sales and Use Tax Law Amendments Passed Columbus, O. — The Ohio Legislature has approved the amendment to the sales and use tax laws which eliminates the tax on all sales of (Continued on Page 4) Ntason to Enterprise On One Picture Deal West Coast Bur., THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — James Mason's first Hollywood feature will be made under the Enterprise banner for distribution by Metro. One picture deal, calling for Mason's appearance in "Wild Calendar," tentative title, with Barbara Bel Geddes and Robert Ryan, has been signed, it was announced yesterday. Shooting on stock shots is already underway. Signing of Mason by Charles Einfeld and David Loew, of Enterprise, brought an end to the months of speculation on where the British actor would make his first U. S. film and followed recent judgment in Mason's favor in litigation instituted by David Rose over an alleged contract.